Theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) is a medicament which is used widely, particularly for the treatment of the bronchitic syndrome and also for the treatment of high blood pressure and of renal edema. It is also used for treating temporary asphyxia in premature babies.
A process for obtaining a theophylline antiserum is described in Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology, 13, 497 (1976), the antiserum being obtained by immunizing rabbits by a conjugate of theophylline-(8)-butyric acid and bovine serum albumin (BSA). A process for obtaining antibodies specific for caffeine is known from J. Pharmacol, Exp. Ther., 199, 579 (1976), the process being based on immunization of rabbits by theophylline-(7)-caproic acid coupled to BSA.